[larsm]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Home assessments in Connecticut are not done each year. They are done every 5 years. In between your assessment stays the same. The towns do however adjust the mill rate each year. That is how they adjust revenue to cover increased costs each year. Your example of how taxes are calculated is correct. Jay

I wrote exactly what you did. Reread. The once a year was referring to how FL does property tax NOT CT.

[larsm]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I would not worry so much about how the taxes are calculated since what you pay for the home does not affect them.
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Actually to be accurate, the price paid for a house can be used to set value, but only if the purchase is made within 12 months preceding reevaluation.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by larsm

I wrote exactly what you did. Reread. The once a year was referring to how FL does property tax NOT CT.

You are right. My bad. Jay

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by larsm

Actually to be accurate, the price paid for a house can be used to set value, but only if the purchase is made within 12 months preceding reevaluation.

I know of no town that uses the sales price of the home to determine the assessed value of a home. They do rely on sales of similar homes throughout the town but I have never seen the purchase price actually used. Jay

[larsm]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I know of no town that uses the sales price of the home to determine the assessed value of a home. They do rely on sales of similar homes throughout the town but I have never seen the purchase price actually used. Jay

As I wrote. If you purchase a house within 12 month window before revaluation, at the appraisers discretion, they can use price paid as the "fair market value" of the house. Anything beyond twelve months cannot influence/be used by appraiser. Nor can a buyer, other than in 12 month window use their "purchase price" to argue to lower their assessment.

My neighbor fell afoul of this as his house was appraised at exactly what he paid in the most recent revaluation.

[Forevermetal02]

Originally Posted by JayCT

You might want to look at a cost-of-living calculator to get an idea of the differences. I like the one below. It will only give you a general idea but it does serve as a starting point. Jay

Cost of living: How far will my salary go in another city? - CNNMoney

Ouch, did the conversion from Orlando to Hartford and I'll need almost 20K bump to stay even. Hopefully, Connecticut is a real great place to live haha. For those who do live and enjoy it there, what makes it worth the higher costs?

[7 Wishes]

Originally Posted by just_because

Hartford's best suburbs not only have much cheaper housing than Boston and NYC, they also are often significantly cheaper than the nice areas in the traditionally cheap southern cities. Places like Austin, Dallas, Atlanta, Charlotte, etc.

Austin yes, the other three no.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Forevermetal02

Ouch, did the conversion from Orlando to Hartford and I'll need almost 20K bump to stay even. Hopefully, Connecticut is a real great place to live haha. For those who do live and enjoy it there, what makes it worth the higher costs?

Location, location, location. You are half way between two of the country's largest cities, a Boston and New York but Hartford is its own independent city. The state has a very high income level and a pretty stable economy based on finance and military as well as corporate offices. You don't get the drastic swings like you see elsewhere. The state is highly educated and is in the center of the highest concentration of higher education institutions in the country. This makes our state and Hartford a more desirable and expensive place to live. If you think Hartford is pricey, compare it to Boston or New York. You will see that Hartford is a bargain.

That said it is not surprising that you would see the need for that much more in salary. You are coming from one of the lower cost parts of the country to one of the highest. Depending on what you do though you may be compensated for the cost of living difference. Obviously you must weigh the pros and cons of such a move. Good luck. Jay

[Forevermetal02]

Understood Jay, these calculators are very generic anyway and even it was 100% accurate, software engineering is a lucrative career and every couple years you can cash in on additional years of experience by switching jobs (which is exactly where I am at now). Least this gives me an amount to use in negotiations. I will value the great location in the middle of everything Northeast and the great schooling options for my growing family. Thanks!

[Forevermetal02]

All,

It's been a while since the last activity here but just wanted to let you all know I decided to seek a career in the Hartford area and was offered a great job in Rocky Hill. I will be starting at the end of June. Thank you all for your input which was very valuable as I made this decision. If anyone has any tips for where to live (currently looking at some SFHs to rent within 20 miles of Rocky Hill) or things I should do right away (restaurants, experiences, etc.) once I'm there, I appreciate it.

Also any advice for year 1 in Hartford area and CT in general?